One of the key reasons that Android has been able to take a commanding position in Australian smartphone sales has been thanks to the large number of budget-priced handsets on the market. Not that long ago paying less than $300 for a handset meant putting up with all sorts of compromises, but as technology has improved many of those compromises have been removed. You still won’t get world-beating performance, but phones such as the Motorola Moto G4 Play offer enough power and battery life for most everyday uses.

Design

Basic, utilitarian design

Motorola doesn't bog down the clean Android experience

If you asked someone to draw a picture of a generic smartphone, we’re willing to bet that the picture they come up with would look remarkably like the Motorola Moto G4 Play. It’s not so much that its style is bland; it’s that its style is essentially absent. While that’s not unusual for a utility smartphone, first impressions of the Moto G4 Play are that it’s cheap. Most budget smartphones struggle to stand out from the pack, but the Motorola Moto G4 Play doesn’t even try.

That said, it is more versatile than many of its competitors thanks to its twin SIM card slots. There aren’t too many dual-SIM phones available in Australia so if you prefer having two numbers at once, the Motorola Moto G4 Play could be a very appealing prospect.

On the software front, Motorola really doesn’t do much to Android 6.0.1 beyond a few gestures for easy screen shrinkage, so this could be desirable if you’re the type who likes a clean Android experience. In some ways, it’s what the older Nexus phones used to be: a basic clean phone experience at a budget price point.

Camera

Totally functional camera that'll do the job well enough

Camera optics are often the first compromise with budget phones, but the Moto G4 Play’s 8MP camera is essentially workable. Fast and sharp? No, but you really can’t expect top-shelf optics at this retail price. Again, it’s a sign of how far budget phones have come that you’re getting serviceable optics rather than exceptional ones at this price point.

Performance

Adequate for simple day-to-day tasks

Complex apps and games will slow it down

The G4 Play’s battery life is decent, but that’s because its processor doesn’t push particularly hard in any given direction at all. Here’s how it compares using Geekbench 3’s processor tests against a range of similarly-priced handsets:

Handset

Geekbench 3 Single Core (higher is better)

Geekbench 3 Multi Core (higher is better)

Telstra Signature Premium

745

3116

Motorola Moto G4 Plus

715

3042

Oppo R7s

696

2980

LG Stylus DAB+

470

1418

Alcatel Go Play

453

1368

Samsung Galaxy J2

315

1044

Alcatel Pop 4

289

945

Motorola Moto G4 Play

1436

480

We don’t have many budget-range figures for the newer Geekbench 4 test so far. As such this isn’t a straight competitor comparison, because the other figures are for seriously premium-priced phones. Instead it gives a picture of where the G4 Play’s performance sits:

Handset

Geekbench 4 CPU Single Core (higher is better)

Geekbench 4 CPU Multi Core (higher is better)

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

3374

5649

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

1359

5333

Samsung Galaxy S7

1378

4718

Apple iPhone SE

2449

4171

Apple iPhone 6s

2465

4052

Google Nexus 6P

1293

3594

Sony Xperia X

1122

2626

Motorola Moto G4 Play

522

1334

Here’s how the G4 Play managed on the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited Test against similarly-priced handsets:

Handset

3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited Result

Motorola Moto G4 Plus

9757

Telstra Signature Premium

9559

Oppo R7s

8390

Motorola Moto G4 Play

4475

LG Stylus DAB+

4321

Alcatel Pop 4

3863

Samsung Galaxy J2

3469

If you’re only a moderate smartphone user the G4 Play could be an entirely adequate phone, but be ready for a little processor lag if you push it too hard.

Battery life

2,800mAh battery is plenty for a budget phone

Can achieve all-day battery life without an issue

Low-end phones normally have woeful battery life because skimping on capacity is an easy shortcut for manufacturers to save a few dollars in the manufacturing process. Motorola hasn’t done that with the G4 Play, instead offering up a decent 2800mAh battery to run its 5-inch display. The end result is a handset that can comfortably last the day in anecdotal testing, something that’s backed up by Geekbench 3’s battery test.

Handset

Geekbench 3 Battery Test Duration

Geekbench 3 Battery Score

Samsung Galaxy J2

10:05:20

2689

Motorola Moto 4G Plus

9:44:10

3977

Motorola Moto G4 Play

9:36:00

3840

Alcatel Pop 4

9:20:30

2490

Alcatel Idol 4S

8:14:20

4943

LG Stylus DAB+

8:11:40

3278

Alcatel Go Play

7:21:10

2941

Oppo R7s

7:00:00

2800

Telstra Signature Premium

5:48:50

3260

Huawei P8 Lite

4:39:40

2768

G4 Play's stablemate the Moto G4 Plus, has similar characteristics but wins by a nose. While the Galaxy J2 still topped the budget phone battery chart, it did so with a much lower performance score that indicated it wasn’t capable of running as hard for as long as its competitors.

Along with the impressive battery life, the Moto G4 Play also boasts fast-charging support. It’s an unexpected feature on a low-end phone like the G4 Play, but (as long as you’re using the supplied 10W charger) the Moto G4 Play can rapidly charge up its 2800mAh battery.

Verdict

A solid and dependable smartphone for those on a budget

The Motorola Moto G4 Play is a budget phone that meets those standard expectations. If you’re not fussed about having the latest and greatest and just want a plain smartphone to do the job of a plain smartphone, it’s perfectly suitable. In essence, it's the supermarket-label version of your favourite smartphone product; nothing fancy that you’d particularly flaunt but certainly worthwhile for the money.

However, the budget space is awash with choices and while the Motorola Moto G4 Play is certainly affordable, it has plenty of competition from devices such as Motorola's own G4 Plus, the Alcatel Go Play or Samsung's Galaxy J2. Be sure to compare to find what's right for you.

Pricing and availability

Motorola Moto G4 Play

A basic smartphone you can depend on

Forget fancy designs and hyper-powered hardware; the Motorola Moto G4 Play just delivers simple smartphone functionality at an affordable price.

Promoted

The Motorola Moto G4 Play is no longer available from Australian retailers.

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